Model train Question?
I am fairly new at Model Railroading and I was wondering what 2-6-6-2 means when they are referring to a Loco.
Public Comments
- In Whyte notation, 2-6-6-2 refers to a railroad steam locomotive that has two leading wheels followed by six coupled driving wheels, a second set of six coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. This type of locomotive was commonly used in North America on logging railways.
- It means an articulated locomotive with (starting from front): 2 wheels in pony truck; 6 driving wheels complete with cylinders and valve gear; another 6 wheels with cylinders and valve gear, with an articulated coupling between; Another pony truck. Example: Union Pacific Challenger class
- that was a steam locomotive number 2 pilot wheels then the drivers and the trailers. the first engines did not have trailers the were numbered 2-4 ,when engines got heavier your configuration started to get bigger 4-6-4- or 4-8-4, . your engine has an articulator which means two sets of driving wheels so your numbers are 2- 6-6-2 or bigger engines 4-8-8-4 made by alco or even a cab foreward southern pacific rail road used them for use in long tunnels so the crew did not have to breathe the smoke. but have fun with the models .if you ever go to any train shows (swap meets) almost anyone there will help you. hope this is some help.
- Paul- The club that I belong to in Sunol, California has just this type of logging locomotive. This particular one is manufactured by Baldwin for heavy logging operations, and it is called a Mallet. Pronounced Mallay, after the person who designed it. These were a light duty compound steam locomotive, not of the type like a Challenger or Big Boy. Those are a different breed of the same concept, and Hoghead has it correct for you. A picture of our locomotive can be seen at: www.ncry.org As for the configuration of ours its called a 2-6-6-2T, which means it does not have a tender behind it. The cab on ours had a large oil tank for holding #3 Bunker Oil, then along either side of the boiler are the water reservior tanks. This makes the locomotive very compact for its type, but the drawback is the fact its range is very limited. However, when fully loaded with water and oil, this extra weight does add to additional adhesion, (traction) being delivered to the drivers. Last I checked, there were a few models out there in HO Scale, and I know for sure that Roco and Mantua both had models of these locos. Both the T Type like ours, and the standard loco and tender combination. Ours is currently being fixed with a new smokebox plate and a new crown sheet in the boiler. Eventhough I am 36 years old, Steam is my thing! Love it! Just a recommendation, you should really subscribe to Model Railroader Magazine, and get involved in a Club. I went from playing with HO Scale, to playing with 1 to 1 scale. That would be the real thing! If you live here in the Bay Area, I invite you to become a part of our membership. The website I gave you will have all of that information. Hey Bob! You forgot the Willamette!!!!!!! Here is another cool site for you. www.gearedsteam.com Good Luck!
